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Wednesday, 21 March 2012

Released in August 2011, this Norwegian adaptation of Jo Nesbø's crime novel "Hodejegerne" finally hits Australian cinemas and delivers a witty, and action packed suspense/thriller. Having enjoyed huge domestic success (even described as a bigger success than Harry Potter and Transformers) it is gracing international audiences who have clearly broadened their tastes thanks to brilliant European releases like Stieg Larsson's Millenium series.

Savvy and successful recruiter, Roger Brown, lives a life less ordinary. Captive to the experiences that only money can buy and married to a stunning successful gallery owner, he soon finds himself doing whatever it takes to maintain their lifestyle. Even if that means risking it all to run a sophisticated art heist operation. He meets his match when the dashing and mercenary Clas Greve enters his world (audiences will recognise the handsome actor from such greats as Game of Thrones).

There are some graphic action scenes and yet some wickedly funny scenes that keep you thoroughly interested in a well crafted storyline. A few pop references also enter the film (think Girl who Played with Fire and Slumdog Millionaire). There are plenty of scenes that upon reflection and over-analysis leave you wondering about logistics but the pace of the film is such that the opportunity to dwell on technicalities is lost (thank goodness!).

A Russian friend who studied in Norway assures me the book is also good fun and is is always the case there is a lot of material that didn't make the cutting room floor. It is definitely on my reading list this year.

As for the author Nesbø- the promotional material describes him:

With his internationally acclaimed crime novels about Police Inspector Harry Hole, Jo Nesbø has had an astounding success, captivating everyone from critics to booksellers and readers. He has received a number of awards for his books, which have been translated to 35 languages, published in 140 countries and sold more than 8,5 millions copies internationally and 2 million copies in Norway alone. Nesbø has been lauded by international critics for having expanded framework of the modern crime novel, and istoday regarded as one of the foremost European writers in the genre.

With a background as a Norwegian pop artist, football player and financial analyst, one can wonder where Nesbø’s horrifying stories originate from. Nesbø believes his fear of the dark when he was a child has fueled his imagination, and given him the extra edge and sense of horror.